Canal and ditch gate



MILD

March 25, 1941. O, McCARTY 2,236,352

CANAL AND DI'I'GH GATE Filed Dec. 7, 1958 I mm m 194 YMO/YD Q M- CAer 11v VENTOR;

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 25, 1941 PATENT OFFICE CANALAND BITCH- GATE Raymond McCart L'o's' Angeles, Cali'lt, as-

signor'to Martin Iron Works, a corporation of California Ap pIicationDecBmberV, 1938,- serial No. 244,319

I 2'Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in gates generally, and. specifically to canal. and ditch gates, and has for an object the provision of a gate so formed and constructed as to permit the same to be readily removed from a frame 1 without the necessityof disassembling the entire bar, and th like, are completely disconnected.

When it is realized that these gate valves may work at considerable depth within water, the operation of removing agate valve entails considerable labor. The ills which gate valves are subjected to under high pressures consist usually in a cracking of the gate valve itself or a. cracking of certain of the gate valve assembly, particularly around the guides. Then again, the gate valve may become worn by the character of the material that is passing through the valve, with the result that the gate valve will not properly seat. Any difliculty of this character requires a new gate valve.

It is ordinary practice to provide what is called a screw for raising and lowering th gate valve relative to its seat. It isthe practice to reduce the size of the screw where it connects with the gate valve, :and an object of the present invention is to so arrange the lifting mechanism for the gate valve as to not interfere with the strength or any of the parts.

Another (object of the invention is to, provide quick detachment means between the gate valve and the lifiting screw which will permit the lifting screw to be readily disconnected from the gate valve within .a minimum of time and to permit the gate valve to be swung to a position so that the gate valve may be removed, all other instrumental ities being intact.

With reference to the foregoing object, the advantages of such a construction will be immediately apparent to users of canal and ditch gates. In the first place, such construction will reduce purchasing costs as only the pants actually requiring replacement need be purchased. For example, a new gate valve may be readily placed in position with the same facility and ease as required for theremoval o'f'th old gate valve.

The present invention includes many refinements of construction which will beset fiorth in the body of the specification, and the present invention has for flurtherobjects a canal or ditch gate which isrnexp-ensive in cost of manufacture, efficient in use, and generally superior to-canal and ditch-gates-now knowntothe inventor.

With the above named and otherobjects in view, the invention'con-sists in the novelnnd useful. provision, formation, construction, ;association, and: relativearrangement of-pants, members andifeatures, all es shown in th accompanying drawing, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.-

In the drawing:

Figure 1- is a. fragmentary perspective view of the improved canal and ditchgate shownin .:position'of' service,

Figure 2 is .asectional view onthe lineal-2 of Figure 1,,

Figure 3 is afragmentary plan view showing the gate tipped for the purpose of. removing-the same,

Figure 4 is anenlarged detail-onthe line-k4 of Figure 1,. and

Figure 5 is-an enlarged sectional detail-om the line 5-5 of Figure 1- Referring now with particularity tothedrawing, the numeral I. indicates one complete em.- biod-iment of the canal and ditch gate wherein .2 is a gate valve, 3"a..ring including a..valve:seat, 4 and 5- frame members, 6 a wedge bar. provided with elements engaging the two frame members for guiding movement. of the wedge bar, 1 a lifting screw securedto means ci i niated as anentirety by 8, carried .by the gate-2, Sfa hand wheel provided with a lifting nut ingengagement with the threads of thelifti ngscrew 1, together with the means Ill -and l-l,,coinprising cross members between the frame members I and 5, and gussets 1-2 and I 3 for bracing both the frame members and the crossmembers.

Where canal and ditch gates are employed, it isusual practice to fasten thelframes tosome wall, such as the concrete wall illustrated at M, in any approved mannenmand the ring 3 is positioned forwardly of somelateral; in the caseof an orchard irrigating system, the main line leading to the front-face of the saldlvalve to wit, the face shown in Figure 1. This ring, is ,provided with a machined valve seat 3 and the ring may be fastened in any suitable manner over the duct in the wall M. In Figure 1-, bolts are utilized, :asshown at IS. The frames-4 and 5 are secured any approved manner to the base of the ring '3. As is; customary in devices of this character, the. .gate valve is adaptedwto be moved downwardly, the, fraines guiding' wits movementto finallyposition the gatervalv -over the valve seat 3 In order to assure that the gate valve has tight engagement with its seat,

wedge brackets l6 :and H are provided; The wedge "brackets have tapered inner faces, the

construction being such that when the "wedge bar "6' is received between said wedge brackets, thegate valve is brought- -int l roncible enemment with the seat. The wedge bar;

are e er bar when received within the wedge bnackets lfi and II to insure that the gate valve has an even distribution of cut-off pressure against the machined face of the valve. seat. .Furthermore,

this construction assures proper stoppage? of the wedge bar and gate valve in its downward move ment when the gate valve is entirely seated.

The gate valve is provided on its outer surface with three spaced apart studs 22, 23 and- 24, and the wedge bar 6 is provided with three openings 25; a socketcentral of the rear face of thewedgebar at zone marked 26, and 21 for receivingsaidstuds, whereby the wedge bar and gate valve may be held in working relationship. Preferably, these studs are frusto-conicalso thatthe studs may b readily removed from the openings in the Wedge bar.

The screw shaft 1 has an unthreaded area IQ-this portion terminating in a bent end extremity 1 Furthermore, the diameter of the unthreaded area including its extremity is not reduced but is equal to the diameter of the threaded area. The gate 2 is provided on its outer face and adjacent the rim thereof with a housing 28forming a part of the means 8. This housing is in the form of a wall, the inner surface of a portion of which is tapered, particularly the taper is divergent outwardly from the outer face of the gate, as best illustrated in Figure 5, It is to be observed that this wall has two substantially parallel sides 29 and 30, an interconnecting pie'ce3l integral with the sides, and two inwardly disposed portions 32 and 33, not interconnected but providing a way or slot 34therebetween. The sides 29 and 30 are tapered, the other sides being of equal thickness. Adapted tobe receivedwithin the confines of the wall'28 is a block 35. This block has its side-walls tapered to fit within the tapered sides 29' and 30. 'The block is provided with a longitudinally curved groove 36 and with a transversely curvedgroove 31 communicating with the groove 3i As shown in Figure 4, the unthreaded portion I of the shaft is adapted to be positioned within the way 34 of the wall 28 so thatthe bent end extremity l rests adjacent the inner surface of the side 3| of aid wall. The block 35 is then positioned over the stem or shaft, :as illustrated in' Figures 4 and In this regard, the; portion I is received within the groove36 of the-block and the bent end extremity l f'is received within the opening 31. Thesides 2 9 an d 30 of the wall 28 are provided with aligned 38 and '39, and a bolt, cotter key or other suitablemeans-dn, is adapted to be passed through saideye members and to straddle the outer surface of the block. In this way, the 'block-is'held within the confines of the wall. The working fit between the-shaft and the block is not tight, tothe end that slight rocking motion may be secured therebetween, which allows the gateto rock slightly; In this connection, it is :mentionedrthat the wedge bar has a loose fit engagement with the guides 4 and 5.

As shown in the drawing, the plane of the shaft -1 is diametrically disposed relative to the gate and the wall 28 receiving the block 35 has itscenter-line (the block and wall) also evenly distribu edion.i p s te s d s of said. d am i .-center. line;

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described, are as follows:

. Assuming that the frame members have been secured to thewall M, with the ring 3 positioned relative to the intake opening leading to either -a lateral or main line, through which liquid is passed, a revolving of the wheel 9 will raise or lower the shaft, dependent upon the rotation of said wheel, to in turn raise or lower the gate valve.. If we assume that for some reason it is necessary to replace the gate valve, the gate valve may be raised to the full line position of Figure 1, and in such position it is possible for the operator to remove the key 40 from the eye members, to permit removal of the block 35 from the confining wall 28. When this occurs, the shaft may be moved upwardly, the bent end extremity l passing through the Way 34 of the wall 28. The gate valve may now be tipped so as to remove the studs 22, 23 and 24 from the openings 25, 21 and the socket at 26 of the wedge bar, whereupon by lowering the wedge bar and tipping the gate valve to the position shown in Figure 3, the gate valve may be released from between the frame members 4 and 5. A new gate valve may replace the worn gate valve by a reversal of the operations just stated, to-wi-t, moving the gate valve inward between the frame members in the manner shown in Figure 3, whereupon the wedge bar may be brought into position for engagement with the studs by rocking the gate valve forwardly and replacing the shaft in position within the wall 28, inserting the block 35 and then securing the block by a key All. The whole operation of removing an old gate valve and replacing it by a new one does not require more than five minutes of time.

I claim:

1. A quick detachment means for canal and ditch gates wherein is provided a disc valve and a lift screw therefor, comprising an open wall housingpositioned adjacent the rim of the disc valve and on one face thereof, a block for re ception within the confines of said wall housing, and means for maintaining the block within the housing; the relationship being such that the lift screw provided with a bent end extremity may be engaged by said block, the block in turn engaging thew'all housing, whereby movement of the lift screw will produce movement of the disc valve.

2. A quick detachment means for canal and ditch gates, wherein is provided a disc valve and a screw lift therefor, comprising an open wall housing having a slotted top wall, a bottom wall, and inwardly tapered side walls, the said housing positioned adjacent the rim of the disc valve and on one face thereof; a block provided with tapered side walls and formed on one face with a lengthwise groove and on its bottom face with a transverse groove intersecting the lengthwise groove, the side walls of said housing provided with extended eye members, and'means adapted to be passed through said eyes for maintaining said block within the open wall housing; the relationship being such that the lift screw provided with a bent end extremity may have its bent end received within the transverse groove of the block and the shank of the lift screw received in the lengthwise groove of said block, the shank otherwise passing through the slot in the upper wall of the housing.

. v RAYMOND O. MCCAR'I'Y. 

